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July 3l, 1923.

V. E. MORRISON FUEL EcoNoMlzER Filed Feb. 24

Gitan,

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for'i-ntroducing air into the manifold. be- -tvveen the carburetor andinlet ports of the "expensive/device that is adapted to intro- PatentedJuly 31, 1923.

UNITED i sTA'ri-:s PATENT oli-fries.

VAUGHN E. MORRISON, orfniacraora MICHIGAN., AssIGNoitor ONE-HALE ToCARL` r.

BECKWITH, or DETROIT, MrCIGaN.

FUEL Ecoivoiuizna.

Applicationlled February 24,'1919. Serial No. 278,690.

To 'LU/wm it may comer/1,.'

Be -it known that "I, VAUGHN E. MonRisoN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Detroit, 'county of Wayne, State of Michigan, haveinvented a certain 'new and usefullinprovement in Fuel Economizers, anddeclare the Afollovvi'nnf to be a full, clear, and

exact description of t-he same, such as will 'enable others skilled inthe art to which it pertains to make and use the saine, refer- 'encebeing had-to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this4specification. yThis invention relates to fuel economizers -forf'internal combustion engines, and consistsI of an automatically-'actingair valve engine, and-a manual device for controlling theoperation ofthe' automatic valve. lhe object of the invention-1s to provide aninduce air into the intake manifold in varying quantities Vdependingupon the degree -ofvacuum produced in the manifold, the

'construction' being such that, under a sul- `ciently highvacuum, theair .valve is'autovmatically closed and automatically opening on' adecreaseof vacuum. Another ob]ect is to provide a devioe of thecharacter stated ythat is adjustable whereby the device may close-undervarious degrees of vacuum in themanifoldl i f In the' usual internal`combustion engine when the engine' is idling-that is, when it isthrottled down and the air intake port' of the carburetor practicallyclosed,.the degree ofvacuum in the intake manifold is high. To introduceair into the manifold 'at this time would lbe to increase the speed ofoperation of the engine which is undesired. This invention thereforeseeks lto provide a device for automatically introducing air into vthemanifold, which device is automatically closed under a predetermineddegree of vacuumand that will automatically open asr the throttle valveis opened and the engine speed is increased. Thus the deviceautomatically acts entirely in accord with the desired operation of theengine. Many devices of this character heretofore in use are providedwith valves which open 'automatically on reduction of pressure in themanifold, and the greater the reduction of pressure in the manifold thegreater the opening of the valve, which is productive in variousconstructions Within the limita-` tion of the appended claims, and thatthe Vdrawing illustrates only a single type of construction'as anexample.

= In the drawings Fig. l is a diagrammatic view showing the use of thedevice on the intake manifold of an engine. i

` Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the part of the device attachable tothe intake manifold y showing the spring-opened valve,

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a manually operable device for causingoperation or cessation of operation of the automatic valve.

Ordinarily an internal combustion engine is controlled through operationof the throttle valve of the carburetor allowing a greater or lesv 'unieof lloW of air there- -throug-h. When the engine is throttled the airintake of the carburetor is closed to a greater or less extent and/thiscaus.- ari increase in the degree of vacuum in the manifold due to thefact that the pistonl displacement is greater in volume than may besupplied by the volume of air per unit of time flowing into the manifoldunder a closed throttle and the vacuum is decreased in the manifold enopenin of the throttle and allowing a grear vo unie of flow of air perunit of time. Evidently, With a closed throttle, admission of air atsuchtime would increase the speed of operation of the engine which iscontrary to the desired effect produced by closing the throttle.

This invention seeks to provide a device for the admission of air to theintake manifold automatically controlled by the degree of vacuum in themanifold, the valve remaining open toA allow the flow of air thereintoduring all variations in the degree of vacuum in the manifold up to apredetermined nslent at which the vacuum is sulficient 'orlosc 1h1-"zilve To this end therefore, the invention primarily consists of arhnnibered body l having an opening at the lower end through which airmay flow and lill provided with a valve seat 2 therein for thelongitudinally' reciprocable ,valve 3 and 4. The upper end of the valvebody has a longitudinally threaded aperture to receive the adjustingscrew This adjusting screw is provided with a longitudinal bore G forthe stem -l of the valve member which is reciprocable therein. Thisadjusting screw is provided with an elongated terminal portion i' andabout this portion, engaging the valve at the lower end and a shoulderon the screw, is a coiled compression spring 8, the tendency of which isto hold the valve 3 oli' from its seat. The tension of this spring maybe increased or decreased by turning the screw 5 into or out of the body1 ot' the device predcterininiug the degree of vacuum required to seatthe valve. A lock nut 9 is piovided by means of which the screw may befixed in its adjusted position. Opening into the body above the valveseat is a conduit 10 having a threaded terminal portion for insertion ina threaded aperture provided in the manifold 11 as will be readilyunderstood `from dotted A'lines in Fig. 2. The extent of opening of thevalve 3 by action of the spring is limited by means of a pin 12 securedin a convenient portion of the device and preventing the closing ot theinlet end of the body or restriction of the said inlet by the valvebeing forced there against. The device is automatically operable as isabove described and Without the addition of the inlet conduit 13 shownin Fic. 2, and the automatic operation of the va ve is asfollows-Normally,` due to the tension of the spring 8, the valve 8 isheld open against the limit pin 12 and air is allowed to flow throughthe ehambered body l and conduit 10 into the manifold 1l and thisresults in fuel economy in that air is introduced that is not passedthrough the earburetor and the mixture in the manifold is thus reducedin richness. The valve will remain open to a greater or less extentunder the varying` degrees of vacuum ordinarily produced in the manifolddependingr upon the tension of the spring 8 and, upon a sul'Y ticientlyhigh degree ot' vacuum beingy attained in the manifold to overcome theten` sion of the spring. the valve 3 is closed as is shown in fulllilies in Fig. 2 preventing an nduiission of air into the manifold` 'lhcpurpose ot this. as is heretofore stated.y lo permit operation of theengine at slow Aspeed under a closed throttle at which time an udmissionot air into the manifold would cause in increase in the speed ofoperation of the engine.

lreferubly, the device is provided willi un air conduit 13 and :i valvemember .ll is provided which uutomaticall) closes the mouth of thilconduit und prevents thiA uutomatic operation of [he vulve device shownin Fig, Q. This valve member ll is prrr '-ided in :i case 1:3 having acrossiaperture 1li therein with which" the conduitl eonnected. The valvehas an aperture 17 adapted to register' with the aperture 1G in the caseby depression of'the valve member to the position shown in full lines inFig. 3. A coiled spring 18 is provided at the bottom of the member 11-tending to force the said member to position shown by dotted lines andclosing the aperture 16. As will be understood also from dottedr linesin said l lfig. 3, a pinA 19 is secured to the valve member 1l extendingthrough a slot 2f) in the `case which limits, the extent of upwardmovement of the valve body. 14 by thi` spring 18. Also, it is to beunderstood that. on depression oi' the valve head 14 to the positionshown in full Llines in Fig. 3, the lower recessed end 2l of the4 valvebody seats in the lower end of the case 15 at which limit ol' movementthe aperture 17 through the valve l-lis in registration with theaperlurc lo ol' the case. Normally, in the construction shown, the valvemember 14 is forced to the position shown by dotted lines in the drawingclosingthe aperture 16 and conduit 113 to llow of air, and this providesun etlicienl'` and serviceable deviee forcentrolling operation of theenginer In vdriving the city streets with a partially openthrollle.which limits the speed of travel to about ten to lilfteen miles perrhour, the opening ot thisl conduit 13 to flovvofair causes the engine topick up speed withoutfalteration ol the setting ot the throttle valveand,`

il the valve member 14 is released -to operation by the spring 18, theengine will: immediately reduce in speedto thatr determined by thesetting of the throttle valve and thus by this arrangement a, ,continualoperation or' the throttle valve is eliminated. The automatic closing rof the valve` in the case l prevents an excess flow ot' air -into thenninifold when the engine isidlingor operatingr under u closed throttle.

For convenience in oositioning the control member shown in Fig. 3, Ihave provided .r shoulder 2:2 thereon, intermediate its ends und theupper end is threaded to receivi` :l threaded nut 23. The body isrimsertible through an aperture provided in the l'oothoard it ot' thevehicle, the board being .secured between this nut and the shoutdcr uswill be readilyv understood. Prefer- ;rblv. this valve control member islocated.

adi-.trent the clutch pedal extending upward through the footboard undthe member11 is controlled by the foot of the operator. rlhus. when thedevice is in use the operator muv simply rest his foot on the prohelmuend ol' the plutr 1l which opens the ronduit lll increasingr thespeed of the elifinibut the moment the operator takes his foot trom tinIsaid position to operate the vlulch. thc speed ot' the engine isautomaticall reduced, and an engine may be con trol ed from a low to ahigher speed merely by the depression of this valve member 14 to agreater or less extent.

From the foregoing it is to be seen that the use of the device resultsin the economizin of fuel either with or Without the use o the manuallycontrolled valve member on the footboard, and that the device isautomatic in its operation, closin upon a certain determined high degreeo vacuum and automaticallyr opening on the lower degrees of vacuumproduced in the manifold occasioned by variation in the opening of thethrottle valve and in fact is complemental to the operation of thethrottle valve.

Having thus briefly described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A fueleconomizer for internal combustion engines having an intake conduitcomprising a chambered casing having an outlet opening into the airintake, a valve therein, a seat for the valve, a spring for holding thevalve of its seat, a conduit connected with the intake end of the case,and a foot-controlled device for the conduit consisting of a casinattachable to the footboard of a vehicle, te casing having an aperturetherethrough with which the conduit communicates, a plunger having anaperture registrable with the said aperture in the casing, and a springfor projecting the plunger upward to close the conduit.

2, A fuel economzer for internal combustion engines comprisin thecombination with the intake manifo d, of a chambered casing openin intothe manifold a springcontrolled va ve therein operated by a reduction ofpressure in the manifold to close the valve, a conduit leading into thecasing, and a control device for the conduit consisting of a easinghaving an aperture therethrough with which the conduit is connected, aspring-controlled valve member normally tending to close the conduit,the valve consisting of a reciprocable plunger adapted to be depressedto open the valve, and means for lmiiting the valve in its movement.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification.

VAUGHN E. MORRISON.

